Japanese Proverbs

Japanese Proverbs
by Otoo Huzii (藤井乙男)
illustrated by Senpan Maekawa

Tourist Library 33
Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways, 1940

Cover of the wrapper: a colored picture of a man in formal dress sitting in the air holding a kite string, beside a monkey in a tall striped cap and a robe patterned with pine trees; the title Japanese Proverbs and Tourist Library: 33 are printed below.

TOURIST LIBRARY

Volumes Already Published

1. TEA CULT OF JAPAN By Y. Hukukita, B. A.
2. JAPANESE NOH PLAYS By Prof. T. Nogami, D. Litt.
3. SAKURA (Japanese Cherry) By M. Miyosi, D. Sc.
4. JAPANESE GARDENS By Prof. M. Tatui
5. HIROSIGE AND JAPANESE LANDSCAPES By Prof. Yone Noguti, D. Litt.
6. JAPANESE DRAMA By B. T. I.
7. JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE By Prof. H. Kisida, D. Sc.
8. WHAT IS SINTO? By Prof. G. Katō, D. Litt.
9. CASTLES IN JAPAN By Prof. S. Ōrui, D. Litt. and Masao Toba
10. HOT SPRINGS IN JAPAN By Prof. K. Huzinami, M. D.
11. FLORAL ART OF JAPAN By Issōtei Nisikawa
12. CHILDREN’S DAYS IN JAPAN By Z. T. Iwadō
13. KIMONO (Japanese Dress) By Ken-iti Kawakatu
14. JAPANESE FOOD By Prof. Kaneko Tezuka
15. JAPANESE MUSIC By Katumi Sunaga
16. ZYUDO (ZYUZYUTU) By Zigorō Kanō
17. FAMILY LIFE IN JAPAN By Syunkiti Akimoto
18. SCENERY OF JAPAN By T. Tamura, D. Sc.
19. JAPANESE EDUCATION By Prof. K. Yosida, D. Litt. and Prof. T. Kaigo
20. FLORAL CALENDAR OF JAPAN By T. Makino, D. Sc. and Genzirō Oka
21. JAPANESE BUDDHISM By Prof. D. T. Suzuki, D. Litt.
22. ODORI (Japanese Dance) By Kasyō Matida
23. KABUKI DRAMA By Syūtarō Miyake
24. JAPANESE WOOD-BLOCK PRINTS By Prof. S. Huzikake, D. Litt.
25. HISTORY OF JAPAN By Prof. K. Nakamura, D. Litt.
26. JAPANESE FOLK-TOYS By Tekiho Nisizawa
27. JAPANESE GAME OF “GO” By Hukumensi Mihori
28. JAPANESE COIFFURE By R. Saitō, D. Litt.
29. JAPANESE SCULPTURE By Seiroku Noma
30. JAPANESE POSTAGE STAMPS By Yokiti Yamamoto
31. JAPAN’S ANCIENT ARMOUR By Hatirō Yamagami
32. ANGLING IN JAPAN By Meizi Matuzaki
33. JAPANESE PROVERBS By Otoo Huzii, D. Litt.

Volumes in preparation

SUMO (Japanese Wrestling) By Kōzō Hikoyama
AINU LIFE AND LEGENDS By Kyōsuke Kindaiti, D. Litt.
HISTORY OF JAPANESE COMMUNICATIONS By Baron Takaharu Mitui

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A blind Buddhist priest in a tall yellow cap and layered robes sits cross-legged with his eyes closed and his mouth open in song, playing a biwa lute. — A blind Buddhist priest, reciting an epic with his lute

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JAPANESE PROVERBS

Otoo Huzii, D, Litt.

(Illustrated by Senpan Maekawa)

BOARD OF TOURIST INDUSTRY
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS

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EDITORIAL NOTE

It is a common desire among tourists to learn something of the culture of the countries they visit, as well as to see their beautiful scenery. To see is naturally easier than to learn, but flying visits merely for sightseeing furnish neither the time nor opportunity for more than a passing acquaintance with the culture of any foreign people. This is specially true of Japan and her people.

The Board of Tourist Industry recognizes both the obligation and the difficulty of providing foreign tourists with accurate information regarding the various phases of Japan’s culture. It is, therefore, endeavouring to meet this obligation, as far as possible, by publishing this series of brochures.

The present series will, when completed, consist of more than a hundred volumes, each dealing with a different subject, but all co-ordinated. By studying the entire series, the foreign student of Japan will gain an adequate knowledge of the unique culture that has evolved in this country through the ages.

For those who wish to follow up these studies with a closer investigation of more erudite works, we sometimes append bibliographies, which we can recommend as authoritative guides for study.

Board of Tourist Industry,
Japanese Government Railways.

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NOTE

The Japanese Government has adopted a new system of spelling for certain Romanized Japanese syllable sounds. Though the spelling has been modified, the pronunciation remains the same. The modified spelling is given below with the old phonetic spelling in brackets:

si (shi)

ti (chi) tu (tsu)

hu (fu)

zi (ji)

sya (sha) syu (shu) syo (sho)

tya (cha) tyu (chu) tyo (cho)

zya (ja) zyu (ju) zyo (jo)

Naturally, the change has caused the spelling of certain familiar names of places and things to be altered, for instance:

Old Spelling New Spelling

Shinto shrine Sinto shrine

Chion-in Temple Tion-in Temple

Mt. Fuji Mt. Huzi

Chanoyu Tyanoyu

Chōsen Tyōsen

Jūjutsu Zyūzyutu

Jinrikisha Zinrikisya

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CONTENTS

I. Introduction .................................... 9

II. Meanings and Origins of Proverbs ............ 12

III. Proverbs and Plebeian Life .................. 20

IV. Modern Proverbs and Their Forms ............ 34

V. Proverbs, Their Kinds and Characteristics ... 44

Appendix ........................................ 79

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